Monday, March 30, 2020

211 - “Here With Friends” - Karendle - A Tale of Heroes

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Where did Thissraelle go?

Karendle paced around a tiny, almost round worldlet as it twirled slowly in the vast. It was rocky and uneven, floating nearby to the main stone platform that they had appeared on when they had all first stepped through Heathrax’s portal. There were a lot of these floating chunks of stone all over, and Karendle suspected that they had been gathered there, or created in place more likely, by Heathrax.

Where is she? She was really upset when the fight ended. Then she just flew off.

I get it. By the Creator, those first two dragons were huge. I thought we were all dead. Then she had to deal with her father.

Karendle thought about the first time Thissraelle had talked about her life before they’d met. That night had been back in their dormitory room at the monastery, with DeFrantis. Thissraelle and DeFrantis had giggled and talked like sisters. Karendle had been a little distant, like a neighbor girl that wasn’t quite in the club. It had been strange to hear Thissraelle’s story, though. She’d had it pretty posh there as the daughter of the Twynne Rivers Wizard’s Guildmaster. Karendle had wondered why she’d left that life. Of course, my life in the mountains with my family wasn’t too bad, either. Not as nice as hers, but not bad. But I left it, too. I guess you just have to get out on your own. We really had a lot in common, considering how different we are. 

 I was such a jerk to her, then.

The sight of someone else’s feet in her downturned field of vision startled her, and she stopped walking. Parith was walking around the rock from the other side.

Karendle smiled, “You’re on your feet! You look like you’re doing much better.”

“Yeah. I’m still a bit stiff, though.”

“Well, considering that just a few hours ago, you were almost broken in two, I think you’re in fine shape.”

He smiled back. “Was it just a few hours ago?”

Karendle stepped aside and sat down on a nearby bump of rock. She gestured to Parith, but he shook his hand, saying, “It’s good. For now, I like being able to stand. How’s Thissraelle?”

“Don’t know. She went off alone. Eddiwarth went to look for her, and her father did, too. I should probably go back her up, but... Oh, I don’t know, she's pretty upset.”

“She’s lucky to have a friend like you.”

Karendle laughed and dropped her head.

Parith pressed, “No, seriously. I’ve seen you fight for her. You’re relentless. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that kind of loyalty.”

“Really?” She set her head to one side. “Never seen it? What about you? Weren’t you right there, sticking arrows in the dragon? What was that for? It was all for her.” She paused, “And she would do the same for us.”

“You think so? She and I fought quite a bit in the forest.”

“Yeah, well, she and I fought a lot before the cathedral, too. But she came looking for me. She fought for Eddiwarth, and she also helped you fight off the high elves.”

“True. And in the end, saved my life.”

A peaceful silence settled between them.

Finally Parith broke the silence. “These last few months have really changed me. I’ve always worked alone, guiding all the traders back and forth through the forest. I was by myself in the city until I met Korr, then the rest of you. I’ve never been a part of something like this. Heathrax’s Heroes!” He laughed, “It feels strange, and good.”

He took a deep breath and shifted his feet. “It was weird. I was at home in TreeHaven, but I didn’t feel like it. Even when the captains let me visit my family. They asked me to stay there with them, but I felt a pull to follow Korr and the rest of you.”

“Yeah. I know it,” Karendle agreed. “I keep feeling like, at some point, we’ll figure out what’s going on beyond us, though. What’s with the dragons, right? I have this sense that something is happening out in the bigger world and we’re just walking right past it.”

“Or maybe I just want to watch Eddiwarth embarrass himself trying to impress Thissraelle more.”

Karendle laughed and leaned back. Suddenly her thought jumped to her voice. “Hey, where’s the little drake?”

Parith took a sharp breath and looked away.

What? What did I say? Wait... Did the dragon...? “Oh, no! No. I didn’t see...”

Parith just nodded.

“I am so sorry...”

Parith shrugged. Or was that his shoulders shaking? Karendle jumped up and embraced him.

“I’m so sorry...”


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This continues the story of the heroes in Wynne, in Twynne Rivers, in the world of The Hero's Tale, Family Friendly RPGs. Here's more info on The Hero's Tale, and family friendly RPGing. If you like this story, support us at our Patreon!
Thank you: Chet Cox, Genevieve Springer!

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